Vonta Leach not planning to retire and other ex-Ravens news

Former Ravens fullback Vonta Leach held a casino night fundraiser and his foundation's ninth annual football and cheer camp in his hometown of Lumberton, N.C. over the weekend.

Leach, the three-time Pro Bowl selection who was let go by the Ravens earlier this offseason and hasn’t attracted much buzz on the free agent market, told a reporter from the Robesonian (N.C.) newspaper that he still is hoping to play in the 2014 season.

“It’s never easy going through free agency,” Leach told the newspaper. “It’s just a waiting game. I probably won’t sign with a team until training camp.”

Leach, 32, has played 10 NFL seasons. He was unemployed at this time last season as well. However, the Ravens re-signed him during training camp. That appears unlikely this season with the Ravens wanting second-year fullback Kyle Juszczyk to take on a bigger role in the offense.

Anthony Allen stars in CFL

Former Ravens running back Anthony Allen got his season off to quite a start. Playing for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the Canadian Football League, Allen had 176 total yards of offense and three touchdowns in a 31-10 victory over Hamilton over the weekend.

Allen, whose last NFL game was Super Bowl XLVII where he served as a lead blocker for kick returner Jacoby Jones and a key member of the Ravens’ special teams units, rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns and caught three passes for 18 yards and another score.

Allen was cut by the Buffalo Bills in January before he opted to join the CFL. I’m a little surprised that he hasn’t been able to latch on with another organization in the NFL as he was a pretty solid special teams player. Perhaps, his performance over the weekend is the start of him getting back to the NFL.

Kruger overrated?

CBS Sports’ senior NFL columnist Pete Prisco’s annual overrated/underrated list for each team has generated plenty of attention over the past week, as it usually does.

His Ravens’ selections were running back Ray Rice as the most overrated and cornerback Jimmy Smith as the most underrated. Rice was also his choice as the most overrated player in the NFL.

Prisco also singled out several former Ravens. He selected Tennessee Titans right tackle Michael Oher, Cleveland Browns outside linebacker Paul Kruger and Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Dannell Ellerbe as the most overrated player on their respective teams. In his first season with the Browns, Kruger had 4 ½ sacks and two forced fumbles in 16 games. Ellerbe played in 15 games for the Dolphins last year and had 70 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.

Prisco chose former Ravens’ defense end Cory Redding as the most underrated player on the Indianapolis Colts.

Pollard, the entrepreneur

The Tennessee Titans’ Bernard Pollard has been making his rounds in New York this week to promote a product that he invented called Smart Tray. The product, which is the first put on the market by the former Ravens’ safety’s Style Pro 31 company, fits over the bathroom sink and provides more space for toiletries.

It’s an interesting product from someone who is known as being one of the NFL’s hardest hitters and toughest talkers. However, Pollard is a much different person when he steps off the field and he takes his business endeavors very seriously.